It Ends With Hello
by reveur-de-minuit
Summary: ONESHOT: "The first thing that hit her was the cold. The absolute, piercing cold. It seeped into ever nerve of her body, freezing her rushing blood. It took her a second to figure out where she was. The Black Lake." Lucy Weasley somehow finds herself trapped underwater, and the only person who can save her is a certain dreamy-eyed boy. LucyxLorcan. Please R&R!


**Hello:) This is a one-shot written for Round 1 of the Summer Fanfiction Olympics Competition run by colorful swirls.**

_**Synopsis:**_

_"The first thing that hit her was the cold. The absolute, piercing cold. It seeped into ever nerve of her body, freezing her rushing blood. It took her a second to figure out where she was. The Black Lake." Lucy Weasley somehow finds herself trapped underwater, and the only person who can save her is a certain dreamy-eyed boy._

_**Round 1:**_

_Swimming_

_**Pairing:**_

_Lucy Weasley x Lorcan Scamander _

_**Prompt:**_

_Water, Salt, Tide, LucyxLorc pairing, Never, Yellow_

_**Rating:**_

_M for a reason, people. Explicit sexual content, dark humor, swearing._

_**Disclaimer:**_

_I do not own anything __recognizable._

_This is the same situation just told through two different points of view. Be sure to pay attention to dates/times! I hope you enjoy:)_

* * *

**It Ends With Hello**

They say a memory lasts a lifetime. Sometimes I wish the expression weren't true. They can cause the greatest sorrow to flood through our system as unwanted, perfectly packaged away memories break free of their restraints and resurface in our minds. But it is not only sorrow we can feel, smiles can upturn even the most rigid of mouths, laughter can burst forth at the memory of a hilarious event or joke. In some cases, people fall in love with the memories, and miss memories more than people. Amongst the emotions a simple memory can cause, is fear. When living daily life, the smallest things can remind you of a time you felt great trepidation or fear.

Lucy couldn't really remember what she was doing before everything happened, nor could she recall every moment thereafter. But the actual incident itself? It was fresh in her memory, every second of it ingrained in her mind. She could remember the thoughts that raced through her mind. The feelings still gripped onto her sometimes, as fresh as the day they were developed. She formed new emotions that day, knowing that she would never again feel them outside of the event itself.

She was gripped by an overwhelming feeling that she would never see the light of day again.

And never, she decided, was an awfully long time.

* * *

_Saturday, April 23, 2023 **3:00:21 pm**_

Lucy's long auburn curls danced in the breeze as she walked slowly down to the Black Lake. She smiled at friends she encountered along the way, but didn't feel like engaging in any social activities. She tugged at the collar of her dress, attempting to pull the cloying fabric away from her sweat-drenched skin. It was one of the hottest days of the year so far, and she had half a mind to head back inside the cool castle. After walking along the edge of lake, she finally found the spot she'd called her sanctuary for the better part of the last five years. She discovered it sometime in her Second year and had been returning ever since.

She almost didn't go out that day. Even the lure of her tranquil place didn't hold the same pull it normally did. She felt something in the pit of her stomach all day, warning her to stay inside her room and not leave. She ignored the feeling, obviously, but as she slumped down against the rough bark of the tree, she fervently wished she paid attention to that feeling. She was still determined to quell all feelings of discomfort, so she picked up her book, charmed it to stay in the air, and began to read.

This was when everything became foggy.

Her mind went blank as soon as she felt her body fly through the air. She could feel her senses shutting off, leaving behind only numbness. Her heart was still steady, as though nothing had just happened. _What's going on?_ she thought. _I was just reading my book under the tree. . .where am I?_

Five seconds passed by; the only answer to her racing thoughts was silence. Complete, encompassing silence.

The first thing she remembered feeling was fear. The fear that something had just gone terribly wrong. She thought she was fine sitting by herself, but something had gone horribly wrong. Icy tendrils of awareness crept down her spine as fear gripped her heart hard, making it pound wildly within her chest. She just wanted to know what happened. Her mind was racing, her thoughts tumbling over each other as she tried to figure out just what was going on. As if on cue, the realisation of her fear sparked her numbness to gradually recede.

The first thing that hit her was the cold. The absolute, piercing cold. It seeped into ever nerve of her body, freezing her rushing blood. It took her a second to figure out where she was. The Black Lake.

As if to deny her thoughts, she opened her eyes, only to meet an ominous grey-green that stung her eyes. All feelings of fear were multiplied by the utter nothingness that she saw. The only colour was a light up above that seemed to be flowing and rippling atop her head. Water was above her, below her, surrounding her. It was in her eyes, her nose, and the sting of salt burned her senses.

Lucy realised that she was underwater.

Panic seized her body, constricting her movements as her mind told her to move. She was paralysed with dread. A tight ball formed in the pit of her stomach as her heart raced. She tried breathing, just to prove her senses wrong, but water gushed into her lungs, the salt stinging her nose painfully. She opened up her mouth to scream, but more water rushed into her lungs. It was cold. So cold. It choked her, causing her throat to burn.

Her panic increased as her heart pumped vigorously within her. It hurt so badly. Her fingers and toes were beginning to go numb. She couldn't keep her eyes open, though she tried to. This wasn't supposed to happen to her. She didn't know how to swim.

Two seconds passed by.

She struggled against the murky water, kicking her legs and waving her arms in hope to reach the light above her. Nothing happened. She was completely suspended in water. She reached out to see if there was anything else in the darkness, but her hands only weaved through the water, leaving her empty handed. She knew of the creatures that lived in the lake. The sooner she got out, the better.

She shook her head frantically, trying to decipher some kind of ambiguous shape amongst the abyss. She looked in all directions, only to see the same ominous colour.

In panic, she tried breathing again, wincing as she felt the ice travel down to her lungs. It only reaffirmed her horrified mind of her predicament. She could feel the water freezing her internally, sloshing around in her lungs. She couldn't feel her nose, ears, hands, or feet. Her ankles and wrists were beginning to freeze as well. She began flailing her arms wildly around her, attempting to create the same motion she'd seen countless times. No matter what she tried, she couldn't seem to get to the surface. The water was getting colder and colder, and panic began to flood through her. She waved her arms around, trying to get some kind of momentum, but nothing worked. She kicked her feet as hard as she could, but it was in vain. She wasn't getting any closer to the surface, no matter how much she tried.

She closed her eyes, vehemently wishing it was all a nightmare. This couldn't be happening to her. She couldn't be here. No. Not now, not ever.

Lucy didn't even know how to swim.

* * *

_Saturday April 23, 2023_ **2:00:21 pm**

Lorcan Scamander looked down at his papers, a long sigh escaping his lips. He ran a hand through his lengthy, dark brown hair, wondering when his headache would begin to dissipate. He looked around the library, trying to ignore the creatures he normally sought out. He didn't want to be distracted. He was in a dark alcove in the library, trying to concentrate as much as he could. He couldn't go to his dorm or the common room, it was too noisy. He had come here in search of silence and solitude, yet even here there seemed to be far more people than normal. He sighed again before getting up and leaving the library.

He had been trying endlessly for nearly an hour now, yet nothing was working. Nothing. He couldn't get even the slightest glimpse or sound that might indicate that he was doing anything correctly. As he walked through one of the large stone corridors, an icy feeling swept through his entire body, freezing him to the core, before dissipating just as quickly as it appeared. Lorcan looked around to see if someone had hexed him without noticing, but he was alone. Goosebumps rose on his skin before he walked quickly towards the grounds. He nodded politely to Nearly-Headless Nick, hoping to avoid conversation with the friendly ghost. He turned the corner, trailing his hand along the cool stone wall.

His entire body stopped as a shrill, muffled scream echoed in his head. He covered his ears, his movements slow and sluggish, as though he was suspended in water. He continued walking down the corridor, his gait significantly slower. A pressure pushed against his body, as though he were fighting a current. He opened and closed his eyes multiple times but could only see tendrils of auburn hair suspended in the air before him. He could only see glimpses of a figure; the hair trailing around a column, a hand grasping upwards, clutching onto nothing.

It was only when he screamed that he snapped out of his trance. When he opened his eyes, he was once again in the library.

_What was that? _He wondered, but his trembling body and pulsing migraine told him the answer. All of his concentration worked. He was a Seer. And he just glimpsed someone else's future. His mind worked furiously, trying to figure out who he could have seen.

* * *

_Saturday April 23, 2023 **3:00:00 pm**_

It took him a full hour, but he managed to go to every body of water the Hogwarts grounds held. He visited the Black Lake three times, a nagging sensation telling him it was going to happen there. His feet were muddy and rough from his wandering around, but Lorcan was never really one to wear shoes. He closed his eyes, feeling his shoulders sag in disappointment. He truly believed he'd seen something, he just wished he knew when and where.

Ten seconds of encompassing silence passed as his feet blindly carried him to his destination.

Another ten passed as Lorcan strained to hear the slightest sound that may relate to his vision. He breathed deeply, taking in the scent of the sweet grass and muddy shore. He was by the Black Lake again.

_Splash! _

Lorcan's eyes snapped open as he scanned the dark lake for what could have created the sound. Ripples flowed in large rings on the opposite side of the lake. Lorcan cursed inwardly, it was a good ten minute walk from where he was standing. He breathed deeply before sprinting to the opposite side of the lake.

No matter what, he would get to the person, and he would save them.

* * *

_Saturday April 23, 2023 _**3:01:18 pm**

It was cold. So numbingly cold. That was the only thing Lucy could think. Her lungs were aching unbearably. Her chest felt as though it was going to burst, that's how much she wanted to release the air she was struggling to contain. But she couldn't let it go. It was the only oxygen she had left.

She felt hysteria bubbling up in her throat. She screamed, the plaguing silence absorbing any sound. More water entered her mouth. Tears mingled into the water as the greatest fear Lucy had ever known gripped onto her relentlessly. She thrashed wildly, the need to break free consuming her, controlling her every movement.

She opened her eyes, looking up towards the light she longed to feel. Lucy's mind was racing, adding to the crushing pressure she felt on her head. She didn't know how she got here, or why this was happening to her. She just wanted it all to end.

She began to think of her parents. She saw their faces, beaming down at her as they always did. She saw the smiles they shared when they thought no one was looking, the smiles that showed their unconditional love. She heard their voices, softly buzzing around in her head. They'd never understand what happened, neither did she. They would probably think she did this to herself. She saw their faces again, the pure love radiating from them. But this time, they were crying. This time, they were so, so sad.

She realised-not thought, not figured, not calculated, not hypothesised-that she was going to die.

Lucy felt her body calm down at the revelation. Perhaps her brain was shutting down to the sudden epiphany, giving into the inevitable finality of it. Perhaps it was the lack of air and the blackness that was slowly creeping into the edges of her vision. Maybe it was the frigid water that had finally numbed her entire body. Her heart and body had become sluggish, noticeably slower since her revelation. Her mind was still racing a mile a minute though. She thought about her parents again, and her twin sister, Molly. She didn't know how her sister would go on. They did everything together. _Everything._She began to wonder what it would be like for her family to live without her there, but it became too real, too painful.

Ten seconds passed.

She tried to breathe again, but was rudely reminded by the cold water rushing into her mouth. This time, she knew she took in more than her body could take. Her stomach lurched violently, making her shiver in revulsion. Lucy looked above her, eyeing the ever-flowing light that rippled iridescently thirty feet above her head. All that light. Normal daylight. She reached out to it, perhaps in the last attempts of her dying and fatigued mind, and tried to reach the light.

She realised-again, not thought-that the light may have been just a false hope. A decoy. She was still going to die. She hadn't breathed in so long. It was a wonder how she was still conscious. Her lungs felt like heavy weights within her that added more pain to the pressure on her head and chest. She needed air. A whole tank of it. Every time she opened her mouth, she got more water than air. It wasn't helping.

She'd done everything. There wasn't anything more she could think of to do. She was absolutely powerless without her wand. While her parents had taught her a few non-verbal spells, she didn't know anything that would help her breathe. There was just so much water around her. So fucking much. Did it ever end? She didn't think so.

That was when Lucy felt true helplessness. The feeling grew with each passing minute until her heart sank heavy in her chest and pain ripped through every fibre of her being. She'd done everything in her power. She was too young to die like this. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

Lucy closed her eyes, her mind once again wandering back to her parents, and how she'd never see them smile again. She saw them in front of her, a smile brightening their faces. She told them she loved them, and knew they loved her too.

She clenched her eyelids further. And she prayed. She prayed to Gods she didn't even think existed.

She and her family would always say that they didn't believe in Him. They were a family of science and magic. A family that created their own destiny. She'd never believe in God.

Except now she prayed. She closed her eyes. She accepted her mistake of having had no belief. For having said those blasphemous things. She said she was sorry. She promised to have faith from then on. She begged for God to save her just this once. She'll never get into trouble again, but just this one time she asked him to cover her ass. She prayed to God for her parents or sister to not experience the pain of her death. She prayed. She felt weak. Things seemed a little slow.

Blood began to rush in her ears as her heartbeat slowed. The blackness that had been creeping near the edges of her vision began to grow thicker until it was nearly all she could see. She was just so tired, so exhausted. She didn't want to die, but she wanted to go to sleep. Perhaps, just this once, if she gave in she would turn out okay.

So that's what she did. She closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the siren call of sleep.

* * *

_Saturday April 23, 2023 _**3:04:26 pm**

Lorcan cast his shoes and shirt to the side, not even bothering to see where they landed. After casting a charm to let him breathe, he dove into the water. In milliseconds, his muscles tightened, reacting to the icy temperature. He cast heating charms on his shivering body, hoping that whoever was down here hadn't developed some kind of frostbite. There were too many creatures that liked to torture people with frostbite.

With his lumos to guide him, he scanned everywhere he could. Thick, yellow-brown seaweed blocked most of his vision, but he knew that wouldn't be as much of an obstacle. He stilled his movements, stopping once he was thirty or so feet beneath the surface. He waited for any change in current or anything that may indicate where this person was. He waited. And waited. And waited.

But he finally felt movement. It was slight, but there nonetheless. Lorcan sped off in the direction of the current, hoping it wasn't too late. His eyes caught onto auburn hair that rippled in all directions. His heart pounded as the figure extended a pale hand up to the surface. He knew he had to remain calm, but to know that his vision was true, that he actually had a chance to save someone, didn't carry that sense of power that he thought it would. He swam towards the girl, hoping he hadn't gotten there too late.

But something else got there first. It was horrifying looking thing, with sixteen legs and a short, rotund head. Its fangs were bared, warning all other predators that the girl was his.

Lorcan would see about that.

He shot off a simple _stupify, _hoping it would stun the creature. to his dismay, the spell bounced right off of it, not affecting it at all. Lorcan fired every defensive spell he could think of, hoping it would deter the creature from staking its claim.

_She is mine_. The creature hissed. It's voice ricocheted within his skull like a harmony of a thousand banshees. Lorcan's hands covered his ears in an attempt to block out the horrible noise.

In a last attempt to get rid of the thing, Lorcan started to scream the one forbidden curse. His wand pointed directly at the girl. Green sparks began to pour from the tip of his wand, showing his determination. In less than a second, the creature swam away, it sixteen legs moving frantically in the water.

Lorcan felt all of his energy drain as stopped the spell. It was nearly impossible to do, seeing as the curse was one of the most powerful and ridden with dark magic. But he did it nonetheless.

He propelled his body forwards, determined to save the girl before it was too late. He outstretched his hand, turning the girl towards him. Her long auburn tresses covered her face, preventing Lorcan from identifying her. He cast a charm so a bubble of air formed around her nose and mouth. He wrapped an arm around her, and began pulling her upwards. They made it only five feet or so, before Lorcan couldn't pull her any farther. Puzzled, he looked at the girl again, wondering why he couldn't get her to reach the surface.

His eyes wandered downwards, taking in the strong binds that tied her feet to the bottom of the lake. He fired a spell that would sever the ties and pushed his way towards the surface.

Five seconds passed.

Lorcan's head broke the surface of the water, and he gasped for fresh air. He swam to the shore, praying it wasn't too late for the girl in his arms. When they reached the shore, grime from the lake and mud intermingled on his skin. The heating charm he had cast was beginning to wear off. Lorcan spelled himself dry, along with the girl in his arms. He placed her gently on the ground, moving her red hair out of her face. He felt his heart stop as he took in her heart-shaped face. Porcelain skin was covered in a light dusting of freckles along her nose, while thick, dark lashes framed almond-shaped eyes. Her lips were full and rosy, her bottom lip jutting out in a slight pout. Her cheekbones were high, and her face feminine and pretty. Lorcan recognised her immediately.

The girl he was now gazing down upon, was Lucy Weasley.

* * *

_Saturday April 23, 2023 _**3:08:16 pm **

Lucy wasn't dreaming. She knew that. But she wasn't awake either. She felt suspended between two worlds. Judging by her surroundings, she wasn't exactly awake; she was lying amidst a sea of vibrant purple grass, and the sky above her shone in a deep red hue. The trees leaves were yellow, the bark white, while the clouds above her were light blue. Yet as she moved her hands along the grass, she could feel the slight prickle as she moved her hand back and forth. The sun felt hot on her skin, and the air was crisp and cool. She didn't know where she was, but it felt wonderful. She sat up, realizing that before her was a sparkling blue lake that led to green mountains capped with pink snow. The lake itself had waves that crashed onto a golden beach. The tide moved back and forth, leaving behind a silvery powder residue. Flowers sprung up here and there amidst the long grass. Some glowed a neon light blue, others were clouded over in grey.

A single white rose stood out to Lucy. She walked cautiously towards it, unable to pinpoint exactly _why_ she was being cautious. As she reached it, she realised that not only was the flower itself white, but the stem and leaves were also of the most pure white. Entranced, she reached out and gently traced one of the petals.

But it crumbled in her hand, blowing away in the air like ash. The flower started to burn, the white rapidly turning an ashen grey. Orange flames licked at the sides of the rose until it was fully engulfed in flame. Lucy choked back a sob, the strangest sadness tugging at her heart. She stood on shaky legs, a hand pressed in front of her mouth. As she looked around through tear-blurred vision, she noticed that everything was slowly beginning to burn. Lucy let out an anguished cry, wondering why everything was being destroyed. Was it her? Was it because she touched the white rose?

She turned around, running aimlessly. Lucy didn't know where to go, but she knew she needed to leave. She scanned the dying field, wondering if there was any source of life left.

There was a single tree that seemed to glow, almost like a patronus, amidst the embers of the field. Without a moments thought, she raced towards the tree, hoping to find salvation beneath the iridescent leaves. But as she strained her eyes to see the tree, she saw a figure standing beneath the tree. Wispy, dark brown hair tumbled lazily into the persons face, preventing her from seeing them correctly. The person was tall and looked to be well-built. Lucy would guess he was male. She didn't really care what gender he was though, she didn't even care if he was Voldemort's reincarnate. . .okay, she would care if he were that. But Lucy just wanted to get out of the field of fire and ashes. She felt the grime on her feet as she ran through it to get to the tree.

She was close.

So damn close.

Almost there.

She could practically touch it.

_There._

Lucy stopped running, her breathing not even slightly uneven. To her it was further proof that this wasn't reality. She gazed up at the man before her, gasping as she looked into ashen silver eyes. She would know that face anywhere. Now Lucy was puzzled, as she stared at the handsome classmate before her.

What the hell was Lorcan Scamander doing here?

* * *

_Saturday April 23, 2023_** 3:10:56 pm **

Lorcan hastily checked her pulse, a million questions flying through his mind, each as frantic as the previous. His heart began pounding as he detected her weak heartbeat. It was slowing down. Lorcan pointed his wand at Lucy, shouting the only spell he could think of.

"_Enervate!" _A blast of white sparks showered from the tip of his wand, but besides that, nothing happened.

Nothing. Freaking. Happened.

This couldn't have been possible. It couldn't have. Why wasn't the spell working? It was supposed to. Why was everything so difficult? His mind was racing, each thought tumbling over the next. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to test his Legilimency as he attempted to pry into Lucy's mind. While he normally wouldn't dare to do this, especially on an unconscious student, he made an exception just this once.

He should have sent a patronus to Madame Pomfrey, or Headmaster McGonagall, but Lorcan just sat over Lucy's body, trying to do this on his own. Since magic wasn't working, he tried thinking of muggle techniques that might have been useful. His mother had thought it best to expose both he and his twin brother to the muggle world, and consequently, they visited once every month. Lorcan personally loved it-until he discovered he was allergic to bees. He had to spend two days in a hospital because of it, and the doctors told him how they had to make him breath. How had they done it again?

Recollection dawned on Lorcan as he looked down at the auburn-haired girl before him. He felt a ball of nerves tighten in his stomach. Gently, he opened her mouth, pinching her nose lightly. He sucked in a huge breath before exhaling into her. He immediately placed his hands on top of one another on her chest and pressed down three times. He repeated this process-he thought it was called CRP or CPR or something-knowing that this may be her last chance of survival.

* * *

_Saturday April 23, 2023 _**3:14:46 pm**

Lorcan had something in his hand, but Lucy didn't know what it was. It glowed as brightly as the tree they were standing next to, and its shape was indecipherable beneath the bright glow.

_Take it._

Lucy paused. Her fingers hovering above the object. His voice sounded soft, like a nice sea breeze on a warm day. She gripped onto it, feeling the sharp edges dig into the flesh of her palm. It didn't hurt though. Until it started heating up. Lorcan's hands rested above and below her own, tightening so she couldn't let go of the object. She cried out in pain, feeling the contours burn her flesh. She screamed, the sound echoing in the valley around them. Tears were streaming down her face, but she didn't notice. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she felt her body falling towards the ground. Lorcan caught her, one of his hands releasing hers in order to prevent her fall. The object fell to the ground with a dull thud. Lucy didn't hear it. All she could focus on was the throbbing pain in her hand. The glow had diminished substantially as well, and Lorcan picked up the object with ease.

"What do you want?" Lucy asked in a weak voice. She was still leaning heavily on his larger body, his arm wrapped securely around her waist.

_Come back home. _

Lorcan's voice was nearly a whisper, and melodic, as though he was singing a soft lullaby. It was dreamy, filled with hope and life.

"How?" She asked, looking up at his grey eyes. She wanted to go back home. She wanted to see her mum and dad. She wanted to see Molly. She wanted to see the rest of her enormous family, all smiling at her. She wanted to live. And she wanted to confront Lorcan and demand why he was here trying to help her.

Wordlessly, he looked down at her, his head bending down towards hers. Lucy tilted her head up, partly in confusion, partly in hope that he would do what she was thinking. He didn't disappoint her. A finger tilted her chin up, his mouth millimetres away from her own.

Their lips met softly, delicately, and Lucy felt herself fall into an abyss.

* * *

_Saturday April 23, 2023 _**3:15:00 pm**

A cough wracked her delicate frame as she struggled to breath. She felt water lodged in her throat, and turned on her side, coughing violently. Nausea overwhelmed her senses as she fought to repress the bile in her throat. She collapsed onto her back, exhaustion settling deep into her muscles and nerves. She was breathing heavily, as though she'd just run a marathon. As she opened her eyes, phosphorescent light blinded her. She winced, but felt a shadow move in the way of the sun. She opened her eyes again, a gasp escaping her lips.

Lorcan Scamander was above her, his dark hair glowing like a halo around his head. He looked like an angel. His big grey eyes were filled with relief, his mouth upturned in a smile. Lucy felt herself smile as well, unable to do much else.

"Hi." She said weakly. A light chuckle escaped his lips as a hand caressed the side of her face. He lowered his lips down to hers, kissing her sweetly, lovingly. Tingles spread all over her body as electricity danced in every nerve ending. His lips were soft and moved perfectly against her own. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as her heart beat faster. Her blood sung in her veins. Too quickly, he pulled away, gazing down at her with an adoration she didn't know he possessed.

"Hello."


End file.
